Navalny’s arrest affects his election campaign

"His arrest prevents equal access of the candidates to the election campaign, including its agitation part" the prosecutor told the court

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KIROV, July 19 (Itar-Tass) - The arrest of Alexei Navalny prior to the verdict comes into force affects his election campaign, an appeal filed by the Kirov region’s prosecution reads.

The prosecution says before the verdict to Navalny and Petr Ofitserov comes into legal force they may be restrained by the obligation not to leave the country.

“Besides, Navalny is a registered candidate at the Moscow mayoral election. His arrest prevents equal access of the candidates to the election campaign, including its agitation part,” the prosecutor told the court.

The state prosecution supported the appeal.

Navalny and Ofitserov supported reasons provided by the prosecution and the defence, though Navalny said: “The situation here is an absolute prove the hearing is motivated.” He thanked everyone who had come into streets to support him.

On July 18, the Kirov region’s Leninsky Court confirmed Navalny was guilty of organisation of a theft of big amounts of money, and Ofitserov supported the theft. The court sentenced Navalny to a five-year term and a fine of 500,000 roubles, and Ofitserov to a four-year term and a fine of 500,000 roubles. They were arrested at the court and put in Kirov’s pre-trial prison. In the afternoon of the same day, the Kirov region’s prosecution, which represented the state prosecution, filed an appeal regarding the court’s decision changing the restraint from written obligations not to leave the country to imprisonment.